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Volunteer Co-instructor needed for a Field Course in Tropical Ecology in Peru!

Are you passionate and knowledgeable about tropical ecology? Interested in a 3-month all expenses paid journey to the heart of the Peruvian Amazon? Would you love working
with a small cadre of talented and motivated young Peruvian biologists? If so, then we are
looking for you!

Volunteer to be a co-instructor for San Diego Zoo Global Peru’s 4th Annual Course in Field
Techniques and Tropical Ecology. A $5000 US stipend will be awarded to cover expenses.

To apply: Email your application to cochacashu@sandiegozoo.org and roxana.arauco@gmail.com. Applications should include:
1. A full CV
2. A one-page Statement of Interest detailing why you would like this opportunity, what talents and skills you bring, and how this will facilitate your career.

The CCBS 4th Annual Course of Field Techniques in Tropical Ecology 2016

For the past 3 years we have held this course at the Cocha Cashu Biological Station, recruiting and training some of Peru’s most promising students, changing their lives, and sending them off on a different career and life trajectory better prepared to address emerging conservation problems. SDZG, with the support of grants and donors, supports this course as an investment in the future of a healthy Amazon. All expenses are covered for student participants, ensuring that wealth is not a limiting factor for gaining access to this experience. Join us in working toward this shared goal of training the next generation of tropical ecology and conservation professionals in Peru.

As the co-instructor of the course, you will travel to one of the most remote places on Earth, several days’ journey from civilization (and medical care). You will live in the Amazonian rainforest, sleep in a tent, and enjoy the company of some of the top ecologists. You will develop and present in-field lectures on agreed-upon topics related to tropical ecology and scientific methodology. You will mentor and assist students, who will be asked to formulate scientific hypotheses, design experiments, collect data and analyze them, and interpret the results in a written report. You will never forget this experience and you will never be the same person again!

We’re looking to promote the next generation of conservation scientists and tropical ecologists and you could be the key to our future. And we want to help. San Diego Zoo Global (SDZG) and the Cocha Cashu Biological Station (CCBS) announce a competition for bright, motivated graduate students to come to our field station to conduct research, all expenses paid.

Are you currently enrolled in a graduate program (doctoral students preferred) and interested in figuring out how Amazonian ecosystems work and how they can be conserved? Then you are a viable candidate. All research topics will be considered, but preference will be given to those most closely aligned with our vision for the Station (learn about us at https://cochacashu.sandiegozooglobal.org/). We are especially interested in research projects that will help address some of the big problems facing conservation in Manu National Park and Amazonian ecosystems generally, or capitalize on unique opportunities at the Station to move forward the field of tropical ecology. Examples of research topics we seek to promote include (1) those addressing climate change, (2) target species identified in Manu National Park monitoring plans, (4) species that have a disproportionate impact on ecosystem maintenance (e.g., “keystone” species), and (5) any research question that has real value for conservation. However, any research question that meets our general goals will be given equal consideration.

What is Cocha Cashu? The Cocha Cashu Biological Station (CCBS) is a tropical ecology field station of international renown and importance for understanding and preserving biodiversity. It is located within Manu National Park in southeastern Peru. As a biodiversity repository, the Manu Biosphere Reserve stands without peer, encompassing the entire Manu River watershed from the Andes Mountains to the lowland Amazonian rainforest—almost 6,000 square miles. SDZG has managed the Station since 2011.

What expenses are covered?

Full international airfare round trip to Cuzco, Peru

Vehicular and boat transportation, accommodation and food in transit to Station

Food and accommodation costs in Cuzco for planning with Cuzco-based staff and making purchases and other logistical arrangements for research

Station fees and meals at station for 3 months

Research mentorship by our scientists

Field assistance provided by Station staff, local indigenous people or Peruvian students and young scientists

Limited basic field supplies

Total value = U.S. $7,500 each (two grants are available)

Other research expenses, including most equipment, must be covered by the applicant.

The funding for this graduate student program comes from a generous donation from the Wallace Research Foundation.

When

Research at the Station must commence before July 2016. Projects commencing before December 2015 will be given preferential consideration.

What are you expected to do?

You will travel to one of the most remote places on Earth, several days’ journey from civilization (and medical care). You will live in the Amazonian rainforest, sleep in a tent, and enjoy the company of some of the top tropical ecologists from the past, present and future. You will conduct research for three months on your proposed research topic. You will write blogs or engage in other forms of outreach and education to media and local audiences. You will provide a brief report summarizing your research findings and their relevance to conservation. You will never forget this experience and you will never be the same person again (we hope).

Why are we doing this?

Field ecology, especially in the tropics, is declining in academia due to the high costs and long-term nature of field ecology and changing emphases. Boots-on-the-ground ecology is at risk, which will have important ramifications for future generations of ecologists. A new generation of trained biologists is urgently needed to study ecological processes in nature and apply lessons learned to conservation action. If today’s graduate students do not gain this important experience, where will the next generation of conservation professionals and ecologists come from? Our intent is to address this problem and, hopefully, to catalyze new, innovative research programs at Cashu well into the future.

Requirements for applicants:

Enrolled in a graduate program (Ph.D. preferred)

Significant experience conducting ecological research

Mastery of fundamentals of scientific hypothesis-testing and methodology

Good communication and inter-personal skills

Spanish fluency preferred

Excellent health and experience living under rigorous field conditions

A strong research proposal

Before you apply: please visit our website (https://cochacashu.sandiegozooglobal.org/) and read the materials there to make sure that you and Cocha Cashu are a good fit. It is a magical place but it is not for everyone.

To apply: Send an email to Cochacashu@sandiegozoo.org. Send a full CV, a research proposal, and a 1-page Statement of Interest detailing why you would like this award, what talents and skills you bring, and how this experience will facilitate your career. The research proposal should be no more than 4 pages, should (1) introduce the reader to the background to your research, (2) state the hypotheses being tested, (3) summarize the methods utilized, (4) discuss the question’s relevance to conservation and the goals of CCBS, and (5) state the expected outcomes. Proposals will be evaluated with regard to conservation relevance, scientific soundness, innovation, clarity of presentation, and in terms of how well the proposed research will move forward the goals of the Station.

Review of applications will commence on June 30, 2015 and applications submitted before this deadline will be given preferential consideration. However, strong applications received after that date will also be considered until September 1, 2015.

What: Co-Instructor for the Third Annual Course in Field Techniques and Tropical Ecology

Where: Cocha Cashu Biological Station, Manu National Park, Peru

When: September 1 (arrive a few days earlier)- November 30, 2015

How much: $0, but all travel and living expenses are paid ($5,000 value)

Interested in an all-expense paid 3-month journey to the heart of the Peruvian Amazon? Are you passionate and knowledgeable about tropical field ecology and conservation? Would you enjoy working with a small cadre of motivated Peruvian college students, teaching them the fundamentals of tropical ecological research and conservation? Then we might be looking for you.

We are looking for a highly motivated, capable individual to volunteer as a co-instructor for San Diego Zoo Global-Peru’s annual course in Field Techniques and Tropical Ecology. The following expenses will be covered: air, vehicular, and boat transportation; Station fees; food.

What is Cocha Cashu? The Cocha Cashu Biological Station (CCBS) is a tropical ecology field station of international renown and importance for understanding and preserving biodiversity. It is located within Manu National Park in southeastern Peru. As a biodiversity repository, the Manu Biosphere Reserve stands without peer, encompassing the entire Manu River watershed from the Andes Mountains to the lowland Amazonian rainforest—almost 6,000 square miles. SDZG has managed the Station since 2011.

What am I expected to do? You will travel to one of the most remote places on Earth, several days’ journey from civilization (and medical care). You will live in the Amazonian rainforest, sleep in a tent, and enjoy the company of some of the top tropical ecologists from the past, present and future. You will develop and present in-field lectures on agreed-upon topics related to tropical ecology and scientific methodology. You will mentor students, who will select and implement independent research projects. You will assist them with devising research hypotheses, experimental design, data collection methods, statistical analysis, and interpretation and write-up. You will never forget this experience and you will never be the same person again (we hope).

Mastery of fundamentals of scientific hypothesis-testing and methodology

Experience working in Latin America

Excellent communication and inter-personal skills

Spanish fluency strongly preferred

Experience teaching highly preferred

Excellent health and experience living under rigorous field conditions

Before you apply: please visit our website (https://cochacashu.sandiegozooglobal.org/) and read the materials there to make sure that you and Cocha Cashu are a good fit. It is a magical place but it is not for everyone.

To apply: Email Cesar Flores (Director CCBS) cfloresn@sandiegozoo.org and Ron Swaisgood (Director, Applied Animal Ecology, San Diego Institute for Conservation Research) rswaisgood@sandiegozoo.org. Send a full CV and a 1-page Statement of Interest detailing why you would like this position, what talents and skills you bring, and how this experience will facilitate your career.

The call for the III Course on Field Techniques and Tropical Ecology at the Cocha Cashu Biological Station is now open. This course is aimed at promoting the most talented students from Peruvian universities in courses in biology and related management and conservation of natural resources. There are ten vacancies for this year’s course, which will be held between August 31 and December 4. The deadline to submit your application is Monday, June 15, 2015.

As in previous years, successful candidates will only be required to cover their transport to the city of Cusco and a two-night stay. Transport, accommodation and meals between Cusco and the Station will be covered by the organizers thanks to the generous support of the Wallace Research Foundation and the Research Fund of the Condon family.

We received funding last year from the UK-based Iris Darnton Foundation, through the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (University of Oxford), for the creation of a bilingual conservation education booklet, in Matsigenka and Spanish, for the Matsigenka communities in and around Manu. It is aimed at children but we hope it will appeal to all ages. The main protagonists are a Matsigenka boy acting as the voice of his community and a giant otter as flagship species of the aquatic environment in particular, and of Manu National Park as a whole. The story explores the worlds and perspectives of each, as well as key conservation issues, in a non-judgmental language and in an entertaining, highly visual way. The booklet is co-authored by Gregorio Perez (Matsigenka community leader) and Glenn Shepard and illustrated by a Cusco artist, Miguel Angel Achahuanco. It incorporates several Matsigenka fables contributed by Gregorio. 2000 copies of the booklet have been printed and will be distributed among Matsigenka families in the Manu region early 2015. You can download a PDF version of the book here: Tito intiri Chavaropana.compressed (6.82 MB).

This year’s ten Peruvian students have just successfully completed the three-month course at the Station and recently presented the results of their individual research projects to the Head of the Park, John Florez, and his team. You can find a list of the projects conducted by the students here: Alumnos Students_TEFT_2014.

Once again we received applications with a high standard which made it very difficult for us to decide. We therefore encourage those who did not make the final selection on this occasion to keep in touch with us for further opportunities and we wish them every success for the future.

We are delighted to announce the names of the ten successful candidates, selected on the basis of their academic background, the professionalism of their applications, their expressions of interest in the course, and their proposed projects:

Areli Benito

Brenda Vaccari Paz

Claudia Salaza Ávilar

Emil Rivas Mogollón

Francisco Vásquez Arévalo

Isaú Cabrera Espíritu

Lisset Gómez Martinez

Misael Paz de Noboa Nores

Smilsa Montesinos Robles

Vania Tejeda Gómez

Many congratulations!! We greatly look forward to welcoming the ten successful candidates at the Station in early September!

“I first visited Cocha Cashu in 1996 to look for a potential Ph.D. project. Since that time, I fell in love with this place and its beauty! If you wish to experience undisturbed nature, its amazing beauty, its complex ecological processes, and scientific challenges then Cocha Cashu is your place! No single species has ever been lost; many species still need to be discovered. No fragmentation, no hunting, no deforestation, or any other human impacts happen here! What you will find is a pristine natural beauty and the overwhelmingly complex ecology that occurs in the largest continuous Amazon rainforest in the world! What I want to highlight is that since working in Cashu, I met so many wonderful people with whom I shared special moments! I will never forget the moment when I arrived at Cashu as a young naïve student. Years later, I have been privileged to share this very special place with my undergraduate and graduate students! For many years now, I have been able to bring Towson University students to Cashu and teach a four-week tropical field ecology class. Many of my students described their experiences as “[this was] the best time of my life”. This is probably the most challenging class for me and the craziest time of my year. However, being able to share this unique forest with my students is just “priceless”. For all these years, I really want to thank Dr. John Terborgh, a wonderful friend and an amazing mentor who encouraged me to work at Cocha Cashu, for his incredible years of post doc mentorship, and for his amazing 30 years effort to keep Cachu one of the most amazing study sites in the tropics!"